Risen From The Ashes
by DC-MarvelGirl 1997
Summary: An extended ending for the Dark Phoenix movie
1. Chapter 1

**A/N **

**This here is an extended ending to the end of the Dark Phoenix movie. It picks up right where the film left off with the Phoenix in the sky. **

**Be sure to REVIEW and go check out my series Peace in Our Time which is in collaboration with MarvelMaster616.**

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**Risen From The Ashes **

"_I know who I am now. I am not simply what others want me to be. I am not destined to a fate I can't control. I evolved beyond this world …" _

Hovering over Earth, she let out a loud, bird-like cry. Extending her wings, she inched closer to the world that she had known as "home" her whole life.

The scenic, cosmic flames warned around her as she inched closer to Earth's atmosphere. A peaceful smile made its way across her face as she closed her eyes gently.

Once she hit the atmosphere of her home planet, she was greeted with thoughts … thoughts of mourning for one who was no longer physically present … thoughts of love for the being who had left planet Earth …

Flying across the sky, she made her way towards the city known as Paris. Floating there, she smiled down at the sight that beheld her before her very eyes.

It was the sight of her father … her true father, finally at a place of peace. She remembered how he'd told her that at one point, he'd been plagued by voices … by guilt, such agonizing guilt. Now, now Charles Xavier was taking time away from trying to save the world. He could finally enjoy life.

Ascending, she smiled wider as she proceeded to fly, stretching out her wings before they wrapped their way around her. With a gentle flash of light, she unconsciously proceeded to allow her mind to guide her back to the very place that had been her place of serenity.

For years, this very place had been home. It had been her place where Charles Xavier had raised her since she was eight.

Gently, she allowed the flames to dissolve from around her form, her eyes glowing a gentle shade of orange as she landed in the place where she had shared many passionate nights with the love of her life.

Scott Summers … the man who she always knew she'd come back to. She saw her room still looked the way it did before she evolved into … something else.

"_But this isn't the end of me, o__r the X-Men … it's a new beginning." _

Opening her eyes, Jean Grey took in sight before her.

It felt good knowing that the place she's known to be home her whole life hasn't changed. Touching the bedpost of the bed she and Scott shared, her smile widened.

It widened especially as the bedroom door opened, and she saw, before her very eyes, the man that she loved.

Scott paused in the doorway, blinking twice … then three times … then four times.

Was what he was seeing real?

Was he truly seeing the woman he'd loved since he was seventeen when they'd stared Apocalypse in the face?

He could hardly dare to believe it.

It had to be a dream.

"Am … Am I dreaming?" he whispered.

Jean let out a light laugh. "Good to see you too, Slim."

"Jean … h-how?" Scott asked her.

"I don't know," Jean breathed out. "I really don't know Scott. All I know is, I came back to you."

Scott could hardly help himself as he crossed the room in two strides, holding Jean at arms length, before reaching forward and cradling her cheek in his hand.

She looked the same way as she did before everything had occurred. She still looked as stunning as she did the day he'd seen her the first time they truly met.

"I missed you," he couldn't help but tell her, before taking her face into his hands and leaning, giving her a deep kiss.

Jean leaned heavily into the kiss, absorbing it as if it were her last bit of oxygen she was preserving. She grasped Scott's face into her hands, stroking his cheek lovingly before breaking away.

"I've missed you, too," she replied, grabbing his hand into hers, the hand that was still holding her cheek and caressing it.

"What happened, Jean? How are you back?" Scott asked her.

"I really do not know how to explain it, Scott." Jean closed her eyes. "I just … all I truly remember was disintegrating Vuc, and then … then this combustion formed around me, as if it were causing me to disintegrate. Then the next thing you know, I awake in this white room. And I hear this voice, telling me that I've evolved into something greater. That like a Phoenix, I am to rise from the ashes … that I'm to be Earth's protector. I still do not fully know what that means."

Scott let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in, before saying, "I think that we should take you to Hank, and have him scan you just to make sure you're okay."

Jean nodded. "Yes, I can agree with that."

Scott grabbed her hand and led her out of their bedroom and into the hallway, where they were all greeted with the sight of students staring on in shock. A few of the kids stared as if Jean had grown two heads. But the ones who were more surprised were Kurt, Ororo, and Peter.

"Miss Grey," said one of the students, Amara.

"Jean," Storm said, bewildered.

"Good to see you, too, Storm," Jean said with a teasing smile as she passed them while Scott led her to Hank's office so that he could check her in the medical labs.

Peter, Kurt, and Ororo stared at Jean and Scott's retreating backs, along with the other students. Though a few of the students had snapped out of the shock and ran up to Jean to hug her.

Nonetheless, for her three oldest friends, it was a sight that they hadn't expected to come upon.

"How is she back?" whispered Peter.

"I've got no clue, Peter," Kurt said.

"Should we ask?" Peter asked.

"No," Ororo said, knowing Jean just as well as Scott did. "Let her have this, before we bombard her with questions."

Scott continued to lead Jean to Hank's office, but she was continuously greeted with students wanting their chance at hugging her. Finally, they reached Hank's office, and the Beast looked up from his desk once they arrived.

"Hi, Henry," Jean said.

"Jean," Hank said. "By stars and garters what on Earth are you doing here?"

"She came back," Scott said. "Though I'm sure she'd like an expert opinion to see if she's truly stable."

"Oh, yes, of course," Hank said. "Come on Jean let's head on downstairs."

"Well it's good to be back. And I'm sure glad that there were some things that haven't changed," Jean said with a grin as Scott led her down to the medical.

Like a Phoenix risen from the ashes, Jean Grey was back and well.

For the X-Men, it was a sight they couldn't help but take joy in.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **

**Long and behold, I'd decided, after having read through the first chapter to this, I'd decided that what I wanted was to attempt at continuing it, somewhat. I've got some ideas of how to continue it, and make it more than just a simple one shot. Since the movie focused so much on Jean and it being her story, I thought that what I should do is at least try to continue it by telling the series of events that I personally feel should follow. **

**Also, I want to thank MarvelMaster616 for having reviewed the first chapter to this story. I felt that this would have been a perfect way to explain the ending of the X-Men Dark Phoenix movie and how it is that Jean comes back into the picture.**

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"Alright, heart rate is normal, blood pressure . . . normal. Everything's normal," Hank McCoy said as he stood, looking at the monitors reading Jean's vitals.

Nearly twenty-five minutes ago, Jean Grey had mysteriously returned from who only knew where. It was almost as though she hadn't disintegrated into a form of ashes in the night sky after having battled Vuc and the D'Bari Empire. For all the X-Men, it was nearly too good to be true.

But it was true. For Scott Summers as he stood at Jean's bedside, knelt next to her as she lay on the medical table, he could still hardly believe his eyes. However, the contact of Jean's flesh touching his face . . . the contact of her lips against his as they kissed . . . it was all real.

Even Hank seemed mesmerized by such a sight. He could hardly dare to believe his eyes as he looked at how steady Jean's readings were. They were still – as he would describe – "off the charts" after she'd gotten hit by the cosmic solar flare, but they were stable and strong as ever.

"So, she's going to be fine?" Scott asked.

"As far as I can tell, yes, she is." Hank flashed a smile in the couple's direction. "But Jean I would recommend that you take it easy and rest for the next few days. I will create you a schedule that will allow you to presume teaching."

"Thanks, Hank," Jean said as Scott moved to the doorway of the medical lab so that he could bring her back up to their bedroom. However, Jean lingered behind after removing the wires monitoring her cerebral waves.

"Hank?" Jean whispered.

"Yes, Jean?"

"I – I'm sorry about . . . about everything. Especially with Raven." Jean could feel her face going red as the tears threatened to come to her eyes.

She remembered how she had killed the woman who had been her mentor for nearly ten years of her life. Raven had fulfilled many roles for her and had acted as family to her. Jean had killed her after having lost complete control. Her powers had spiked to the point where she couldn't contain them any longer.

In hindsight for Jean, it would have been completely justified if Erik and Hank had killed her.

"Jean," Hank said.

"Nothing excuses what I did," Jean said.

"That wasn't you," Hank told her.

"Yes, it was." Jean quickly brushed a tear that threatened to stream down her cheek. "I – _I _did that. I killed my mother. And I hurt my father . . ."

"And yet you also saved the world from Apocalypse," Hank reminded her.

"That was a team effort, Hank," Jean told him. "And last I checked, it was Raven who led that team. She led us for ten years. I don't think I am meriting of having a school named after me especially after what had occurred."

Hank let out a sigh. He knew that Jean was blaming herself for what had happened to Raven. "You're at least meriting of forgiveness. I understand that you never wanted that to happen."

Jean breathed out a quaking sigh as she got off the medical table, quickly leaving the room and brushing past Scott to head up to their bedroom.

"Jean," Scott said.

"Scott, no." Jean quickly retreated, heading towards the elevator and punching in the floor number. However, before Scott could make an attempt to follow, she closed the elevator doors by telekinesis and allowed it to take her up from the sub-levels to the floor where her and Scott's bedroom was located.

Jean quickly brushed past the mess of students who were bustling to get to their next class of the day. However, in her emotional state, she felt her body collide with Ororo, who was exiting her old dorm room which she had converted into her and Jean's office space. It had been a space for the past five to six years where they would go, grade papers, or just simply take turns napping on the couches there by means to recharge in between classes.

Jean being not just the institute's human biology and chemistry teacher, but also training to be a doctor meant long, grueling hours. It wasn't uncommon that she and Ororo would spend majority of their time in that office space with Scott, having shots of hard liquor at the end of a hard week. The amount of times they spent time in that office getting piss-faced drunk or watching TV were some of the happier memories she, Scott, and Storm shared together.

Jean still remembered how it had been after Ororo had joined the X-Men. Given that Jean had been an outcast to the school due to her out of control powers – and the fact that Professor Xavier had essentially adopted her which led to many thinking she got special treatment – after Ororo's arrival, Ororo, Scott, Kurt, Raven, Hank, and Peter were nearly the only ones she bonded with. The seven of them had gone on to becoming teachers of the institute. And during those ten years, with raging hormones, Scott and Jean had grown even closer after Apocalypse had happened, and after about a week, had gotten together.

Now, Jean couldn't bring herself to look at Ororo. She knew Ororo had idolized Raven her whole life. And Jean understood that the death of Raven was something Ororo took hard. The fact that Storm had gone out of her way to try and save her from Vuc and Magneto was still something that left Jean in surprise.

"Jean," Ororo said.

Jean just ignored her friend – practically her sister in every way but blood – continuing to make her journey to her and Scott's bedroom. Shutting the door by telekinesis, Jean proceeded to lay on her bed, allowing the tears to fully fall from her eyes especially as she looked over at a photograph she kept on her vanity table.

It was of the team in full uniform, receiving a presidential medal of honor. However, as she looked at it, she couldn't help but look deeply at the detail, especially of Raven. She noticed Raven's smile looked forced. She knew that Raven had felt that the X-Men receiving so many awards was massaging the professor's ego. And Jean didn't even have to read Raven's mind.

It was written all over her face.

Jean could feel more tears filling her eyes as she remembered all that she had done as "Phoenix". Going over to the couch that was in her and Scott's room – placed conveniently right in front of the TV – she couldn't help but think about the terrible sins she had committed.

This included hurting her father, and killing her mother.

She couldn't help it as she started crying silently, burrowing her face into her hands.

She didn't notice Storm had entered her room until she felt her friend's arms wrapping around her in an embrace. It just made her cry harder.

"I – I'm . . . I'm _sorry _Ro!" she managed to gasp out.

"It's okay." Storm closed her eyes as her fingers traveled through Jean's hair gently.

"N-No . . . N-No it's – it's n-not okay," Jean sobbed into her friend's shoulder. "I – I _killed m-my mom! _I – I h-hurt my d-dad . . . and h – he l-left me! W-Why S-Storm?! W-Why? _Why didn't he want me?" _

Ororo just stayed silent. She didn't know what to say to her friend. She just didn't have an answer to any of it as her arms tightened around Jean firmly.

"I don't know, Jean. I really do not know. I wish I have answers but I don't," Ororo whispered.

In the doorway to Jean and Scott's room, Kurt and Peter stood outside, ready to bear the news to Ororo and Jean that they had called the professor, and that he was going to be returning from Paris. However, when they were about to effort, Ororo used her powers to control the air pressure to make the door close after she silently told them with her eyes that now wasn't the time. However, she didn't stop Scott from entering and moving to sit near his distraught girlfriend, who was still shaking herself apart in Ororo's arms.

Just feeling the sensation of Scott gently prying her out of Ororo's arms was so simple, it was almost heavenly for Jean. He pulled her into his lap and hugged her against him, pressing his lips against her forehead as Ororo got up to make her exit from the room. However, Storm lingered to squeeze Jean's shoulder before making her leave to go to her next class of the day.

As Ororo left the room, she saw Kurt and Peter still waiting outside the door.

"She gonna be okay?" Peter asked.

"She's with Scott now. He'll make sure she's fine," Ororo said.

"But hov did she come back? Vhat happened?" Kurt asked.

"I didn't get the opportunity to ask. But I will, eventually," Ororo said. "You know how she is. When she gets like this, she needs space."

"Vell, ve vanted to say zhat ve called zhe professor. He's returning from Paris," Kurt said.

"Why? You know that he's retired," Ororo said as they walked down the hallways towards the classrooms.

"He wants to see Jean. He wants to see if she really is back," said Peter.

Ororo nodded. "Of course," she said.


End file.
